My steering wheel is gone
- Thread starter SlyReaper
- Start date
Soldato
'I've got four wheels on my wagonnnn I'm still rollin'
'****... wait... I can't steer the thing
'
Not anything impressive like bellowing curses into the air. I just sat in the car for a while, tested the ignition (it still works btw), and went back to my flat to google the address of my nearest Vauxhall dealership. Alas, their parts department had already closed for the weekend, so the breaker's yard it was.
Soldato
"Something is definitely wrong here?" Like an extreme version of looking in the fridge for the breakfast cereal, I've had mornings like that.
Not really. Much of the interior was trashed, and most of the contents of my glove box were on the passenger seat. Also, the stereo is gone and so are my sunglasses.
However, they were kind enough to leave Eric, the stuffed toy hippo behind.
However, they were kind enough to leave Eric, the stuffed toy hippo behind.
You honestly think they nicked your steering wheel!!
What I suspect happened is that they were in the process of trying to break the steering lock and nick the car but ended up snapping the steering wheel off instead.
I should imagine you'll find the wheel in a hedge just up the road.
What I suspect happened is that they were in the process of trying to break the steering lock and nick the car but ended up snapping the steering wheel off instead.
I should imagine you'll find the wheel in a hedge just up the road.
Associate
It could have been worse though, luckily its an Astra so handling shouldnt be affected much 
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Soldato
It could have been worse though, luckily its an Astra so handling shouldnt be affected much
That definitely got a LOL from me
A number of years ago I came out of my house to find my Golf mk 2 passenger door handle had been hacksawed off and taken. I couldn't work out why someone would do that until I realised the handle contained a lock from which they could make a key to steal the car another day. So I parked it around a friends for a month instead of leaving it outside my house.
It could have been worse though, luckily its an Astra so handling shouldnt be affected much
Gotta love the Vauxhall hate.
Edit: How much should I expect to be charged for a mechanic installing the replacement wheel and column? So that I don't end up getting ripped off?
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Soldato
Its not too difficult a job for a competant mechanic, unbolt the colum from the dash side and then from the universal joint at the bottom, and remove lot of dash trim in the process! Hours job i reckon.
Soldato
Whether chap
You missed one
I just LoL at this thread, how mush will it cost to get it repaired ?
MW
I don't know. The replacement wheel and column cost £45. I'll have to wait and see how much the mechanic will charge tomorrow. Thinking about it now, I probably should have gotten a quote off him over the phone.
Update: the replacement wheel and column have been fitted.
Turns out it was completely the wrong sort of steering column, so it's not exactly seamless. No nice plastic covering to hide the internals, the wheel is slightly closer to me than it was before, and the orientation is slightly off (with the steering wheel in the "straight ahead" position, the car turns slightly left). I also now have two key-blocks on the new steering column. The one which was already attached, just to undo the steering lock, and the other taken off my old column to start the ignition (held on by plastic tie-wraps).
It's ugly and awkward, but it's drivable. And that makes me happy.
Edit: and I've given the exterior paintwork a go over with the T-Cut so at least it looks nice from the outside.
Turns out it was completely the wrong sort of steering column, so it's not exactly seamless. No nice plastic covering to hide the internals, the wheel is slightly closer to me than it was before, and the orientation is slightly off (with the steering wheel in the "straight ahead" position, the car turns slightly left). I also now have two key-blocks on the new steering column. The one which was already attached, just to undo the steering lock, and the other taken off my old column to start the ignition (held on by plastic tie-wraps).
It's ugly and awkward, but it's drivable. And that makes me happy.
Edit: and I've given the exterior paintwork a go over with the T-Cut so at least it looks nice from the outside.
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Man of Honour
Did the original wheel contain an airbag ?
If so then that is very probably why it was nicked.
If so then that is very probably why it was nicked.
Well, if I see you coming I'll walk further away from the road!
Glad you got it kind of sorted though, crime round here (I'm in Hotwells too more or less) is irritating. Several bikes (pedal/motor) got stolen in a ram raid of the secured underground car park last year, and I had a bike nicked from in the same car park last year too. I didn't care that much as it was worth about £20, but they took that one instead of a whole selection of better bikes. It was probably just dumped down the road somewhere, police don't really care for the massive bike crime around here, probably hotter on car break ins though.
Glad you got it kind of sorted though, crime round here (I'm in Hotwells too more or less) is irritating. Several bikes (pedal/motor) got stolen in a ram raid of the secured underground car park last year, and I had a bike nicked from in the same car park last year too. I didn't care that much as it was worth about £20, but they took that one instead of a whole selection of better bikes. It was probably just dumped down the road somewhere, police don't really care for the massive bike crime around here, probably hotter on car break ins though.
There was no air bag in the original. The replacement has an airbag (or rather it did, but I think it's spent now).
alexhull, until Saturday morning, I didn't think Hotwells had a crime problem at all. Live and learn I guess. I'm going to fit a steering wheel bar every time I park from now on.
Don
do a Harry Brown